NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Mar 6, 2012) - Solve Media today announced the launch of Pre-Roll Insurance, an expansion of its performance-based brand advertising platform, to protect advertisers against the growing threat of skipped pre-roll ads. The innovative technology gives consumers control over their online video advertising experience while guaranteeing that advertisers engage consumers in a way that is proven to produce awareness and drive purchase intent. Toyota is among the first brands to leverage the new technology for their latest RAV4 campaign, launching today.

Similar to Solve Media's CATPCHA-based Type-In advertising, Pre-Roll Insurance prompts consumers to enter a brand's tag line or message in order to skip an ad. Once the brand message is entered into the text box, the consumer moves swiftly to the requested video content without having to watch the full length pre-roll. This cognitive approach guarantees brand lift and safeguards against consumers skipping ads and wasting advertising dollars in order to maximize the effectiveness of media buys for agencies.

For Toyota, the ability to reach consumers at scale to create a brand memory without disrupting their behavior is a huge opportunity. "Solve Media helps us make the most of our advertising buys," said Dionne Colvin, national marketing media manager at Toyota. "We are constantly looking for innovative products that deliver on engagement and have found that this pre-roll offering ensures consumers are truly interacting with our brand and remembering our messages."

Audiences often think of pre-roll advertising as a disruptive barrier in front of online video content. YouTube, the largest online video publisher, began allowing consumers to skip pre-roll ads last year. Since then, YouTube has seen skip rates of 70% on average and as high as 80%. Many publishers are starting to follow suit by providing consumers with choice. Solve Media is staying ahead of the trend by releasing Pre-Roll Insurance so publishers can deliver a comparable consumer experience without hurting their economics.

In research conducted by Solve Media with comScore, skipping was not the only issue associated with the pre-roll format. At an alarming rate, consumers report to tuning out or multitasking during pre-roll video ads: 52.6 percent of responding consumers admitted to zoning out during pre-roll ads and 47.4 percent claimed to open a new browser (or tab) to do something else entirely.

The financial impact of these wasted opportunities is huge for advertisers. Solve Media estimates that as much as $33 per second is wasted on skipped or ignored video advertising in the US alone. Solve Media's pre-roll technology allows consumers to engage with the brand's message through the Type-In. Skipped or not, the brand receives value from the impression and engenders goodwill.

Publishers understand the intersection of good user experience and advertising effectiveness. "At Internet Brands our online video assets are some of most valuable content," said Alvin Fong, vice president of business operations and general manager at Internet Brands. "Solve Media's pre-roll technology guarantees an attentive audience for our advertisers and promotes a better user experience for consumers on our sites."

"Solve Media has taken an innovative and differentiated approach to online video advertising that helps advertisers drive and measure consumer engagement while helping consumers get to their content faster," said Robert Coolbrith, senior research analyst at ThinkEquity. "Much of the recent innovation in display and online video advertising has focused on targeting and personalization tactics best suited to pure performance marketers. We believe Solve's approach responds to a vital market need -- providing a solution that addresses brand advertiser goals while leveraging the inherent measurability of the online channel."

"We built this pre-roll insurance technology because our research shows that two out of three people attempt to skip a pre-roll ad when given a choice, which is a huge loss for brands and publishers alike," said Solve Media CEO Ari Jacoby. "Solve Media is focused on eliminating risk in online brand advertising. This new technology provides certainty to our agency, advertiser and publisher partners about awareness, recall and purchase intent in the video environment."

ABOUT SOLVE MEDIASolve Media was founded by veteran entrepreneurs and technologists focused on innovative Internet advertising solutions. The Company's proprietary online advertising platform, the TYPE-IN™, was designed to create new and highly effective opportunities for brands to advertise online. With the platform, Solve Media guarantees brand message delivery, brand lift and return on investment for advertisers. Additionally, the platform creates new revenue opportunities for publishers and saves time for consumers. Backed by First Round Capital, New Atlantic Ventures, AOL Ventures, Bullpen Capital and prominent angel investors, Solve Media is based in New York City and Philadelphia. http://www.solvemedia.com